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Food is quite often the centerpiece of any event and organizer go to great lengths to ensure that their guests, at the very least, have a good dining experience. However, the issue of allergens means that the issue of food preparation and service at any event is of deadly importance.
The high prevalence of allergies means that event organizers and those in charge of catering need to take certain precautions when preparing and serving food for such an event.
Request Information on Allergies Early
When you have an event coming up, and you have a well-defined list of attendees, ask the attendees if they have any dietary restrictions. This can range from allergies to lifestyle choices. You can send an email with a checklist that the attendees can use to indicate if they're allergic to certain types of foods.
Such a list can make things easier for you since you can prepare the food in such a way that anyone with a certain preference or allergy will have their concerns noted ahead of time.
Communicate with Attendees How Their Needs Will Be Addressed
As important as it is to know about the dietary restrictions of the attendees, they'll also need to know how the issue will be handled. They'll need to know if they'll have special cards that they'll need to present to servers or whether the buffets will be labeled or whether they'll be getting completely separate meals.
Communicate with Caterers
When your event is catering to a large group of people with allergies, it can be a tough challenge for the caterers to keep up especially if they are not properly informed. You need to know how they plan on addressing the needs of those with allergies and how they'll avoid potentially deadly mistakes such as cross contamination. You may also want to work with a company that offers professional food management services to ensure that there are no slip-ups.
Keep the Serving Staff Informed and Use Labels
The people who serve the food should know the ingredients in every dish and how the dish was prepared. This will ensure that they're able to accurately tell someone if a dish contains a particular allergen. If you're doing a buffet style arrangement, ensure all the dishes are properly labeled so those eating know in advance what ingredients were used.
The dishes should also be positioned in a way that eliminates the slightest chance of cross-contamination (e.g., the use of the same spoon for different dishes). For more information, contact your local contract food services.